The origins of evolutionary innovations : a theory of transformative change in living systems /
"This book proposes several such principles as the basis of a theory of innovation, integrating recent knowledge about complex molecular phenotypes with more traditional Darwinian thinking. Central to the book are genotype networks: vast sets of connected genotypes that exist in metabolism and...
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| Format: | eBook |
| Language: | English |
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Oxford ; New York :
Oxford University Press,
2011.
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| Series: | Oxford biology.
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| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | Connect to the full text of this electronic book |
| Summary: | "This book proposes several such principles as the basis of a theory of innovation, integrating recent knowledge about complex molecular phenotypes with more traditional Darwinian thinking. Central to the book are genotype networks: vast sets of connected genotypes that exist in metabolism and regulatory circuitry, as well as in protein and RNA molecules. The theory can successfully unify innovations that occur at different levels of organization. It captures known features of biological innovation, including the fact that many innovations occur multiple times independently, and that they combine existing parts of a system to new purposes. It also argues that environmental change is important to create biological systems that are both complex and robust, and shows how such robustness can facilitate innovation. Beyond that, the theory can reconcile neutralism and selectionism, as well as explain the role of phenotypic plasticity, gene duplication, recombination, and cryptic variation in innovation. Finally, its principles can be applied to technological innovation, and thus open to human engineering endeavours the powerful principles that have allowed life's spectacular success"--Publisher site. |
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| Physical Description: | 1 online resource (ix, 253 pages) : illustrations |
| Bibliography: | Includes bibliographical references (pages 219-248) and index. |
| ISBN: | 0191621862 9780191621864 |